Pronger ‘progressing very well’

A day after sustaining a scary injury to the side of his right eye, Pronger “was seen by Dr. Stephen Goldman [on Tuesday] and is progressing very well,” Flyers GM Paul Holmgren said in a statement.

Pronger was injured in the first period of the Flyers’ 4-2
win over Toronto on Monday when struck by the stick of Maple Leafs center Mikhail Grabovski.

Although improving, Pronger still is expected to be bedridden for the next 2-to-3 days and sidelined for 2-to-3 weeks.

“It’s a big loss for us, but everybody has got to step up and fill this hole,” Flyers goalie Ilya Bryzgalov said. “I’m very confident that every defenseman on our team … everyone of them I feel very confident. I’d never trade those guys to anyone. Chris is hurt right now and other guys gotta step up. Everybody gotta step up and fill this hole.”

With Pronger sidelined, the Flyers have just six healthy defensemen – Andrej Lilja, Matt Walker, Matt Carle, Braydon Coburn, Andrej Meszaros and Kimmo Timonen. In the Flyers’ first eight games, Lilja and Walker had been splitting time as their sixth defensemen, Lilja playing six times and Walker twice.

“It’s a a good opportunity, a chance to get more games in,” Walker said. “But it’s tough to see anybody go down, especially when it has to do with your eye. Hopefully, Chris is back … the sooner the better. It’s best for him and best for the team to get him back on the ice.”

The Flyers had an optional skate Tuesday morning that included 11 skaters and both goalies. Forwards Claude Giroux, Danny Briere, Jaromir Jagr and Scott Hartnell, and defensemen Carle, Timonen, Coburn and Meszaros did not participate.

“If you look at the schedule, it’s busy right now,” coach Peter Laviolette said. “The guys playing the minutes, we’ll let them get a rest and sometimes rest is the most important thing.”

Afterward, the topic in the dressing room was visors. All but six Flyers wear them. Pronger does not, and it’s possible his injury could have been avoided if he had been, although sticks can and do sometimes strike a player near the eyes even when they’re wore if it goes up at the right angle. (Story upcoming on this topic in Wednesday’s Courier-Post)

After the morning workout, the Flyers who opted to practice and those who didn’t met at the Philadelphia airport for an early afternoon flight to Montreal. The Flyers will play the Canadiens there tonight, and this morning Laviolette will have a mandatory morning skate so that some of their young players who’d never played there can get accustomed to the building and ice.

As usual, Laviolette wouldn’t reveal his goaltender for Wednesday’s game, but Bryzgalov is expected to get the start after being rested Monday with Sergei Bobrovsky improving to 2-0 in two starts.

Bryzgalov began the season strong, but allowed nine goals in his two previous games, losses to Washington and St. Louis.

“It’s obviously unacceptable,” Bryzgalov said. “I think I need to elevate my game with the speed a little bit. Obviously, we gotta be a little bit more lucky bit. It seems like every game we give up so many goals with bad luck. We gotta continue to work hard and I think the luck will change and we’ll be fine.”

One Response to Pronger ‘progressing very well’

Thanks for your Flyers report. In an effort to make visors mandatory in the NHL, can you do anything to “romanticize” this injury? Anyone taking a stick to the eye should now be referred to as “he was pronged.” The offender will be referenced as “pronging his opponent,” and the NHL rulebook will be revised to reflect a new penalty: “Two minutes for pronging.”

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On the ice and in the locker room with the Philadelphia Flyers

About the Author

Dave Isaac joined the Courier-Post in April 2012 after covering the Flyers for the past three seasons. He graduated from Temple University with a degree in Broadcast Journalism.
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